Independent bookstores have long been spaces where people of all backgrounds can come together. That’s especially true in San Diego, where at least 20 independent bookstores operate across the county and more than 100 across California.
Becca Title is the owner of Meet Cute, a romance bookstore in La Mesa. It opened in 2022 with the goal of creating a dedicated space for romance readers.
She said bookstores are more important than ever.
“The way that book banning is happening around the country right now, the way that politics are going, I think there's more incentive for large corporations to sort of cave on their values,” Title said.
According to PEN America, thousands of books were banned last year, adding to more than 23,000 bans recorded since 2021.
Megan Jauregui Eccles is an author whose debut novel, “Sing the Night,” is available at Mysterious Galaxy.
She said independent bookstores are a vital third space — places where people can gather without necessarily spending money.
“We don't have access to community spaces like we did when I was growing up,” Eccles added. “And so finding a place that is supportive and community-based, where you can connect with other people who share the same values as you, it's necessary.”
Bookstores are also places where authors can connect directly with readers. Mysterious Galaxy hosts author events throughout the year. Eccles said turnout can vary, but the impact is the same.
“It's one wonderful thing to be in a group of 300 other readers waiting in line for an hour to get your book signed. It's also really special to be like one of 10, being able to be really in conversation with the author, because all of it builds."
One of the biggest challenges independent bookstores face is competition from chain retailers like Barnes & Noble and online sellers like Amazon, which can offer lower prices.
Eccles said, unlike local shops, it doesn't make a difference to those larger retailers whether you buy or not.
“But putting money back into the local community is so important. Also, you can't smell the internet. Like this is so wonderful — to get to read the back of books and connect, and have the opportunity to get signed books, if that matters for you, or special editions.”
John Evans co-owns Camino Books: For the Road Ahead, formerly Diesel Books. He said the experience of discovery is lost when books are purchased online.
“All the algorithms just tell you with all your past choices, you know? But a bookseller is doing the opposite,” Evans said. “We're showing you all the possibilities and trying to find the best one for you in that moment, in that store, at that time, so that you're going on an adventure.”
He added that institutions and residents alike can help sustain local bookstores. “Schools, libraries all should be buying through their local vendor because the multiplier effects for the economy are great for the community.”
The multiplier effect means an initial increase in spending leads to an overall increase in economic activity. So when more people buy locally, more can be invested in the local economy.
Anika Omark is co-owner of Hey Books! in downtown San Diego, which opened a year ago. She said without community support, local bookstores could not survive.
“I feel that every time that a person shops at an independent bookstore instead of, you know, one a larger corporation, they're making a conscious effort to support us and to keep us in their community.”
These bookstores, along with about a dozen others, will take part in the 9th annual Book Crawl, which spans both southern and northern San Diego County.
Eccles has attended several crawls and plans to return this year.
“I love the San Diego bookstore crawl so much. There's like a gamification aspect where you go to a certain number of stores and then you get things,” Eccles said. “I'm a sucker for an enamel pin, and there's always an enamel pin,”
Last year, about 4,000 people started the crawl, and roughly 400 visited every participating store, according to the Library Foundation SD.
The event began with nine stores and has grown to 15 participating locations, with plans to expand.
Title said the crawl opens up people's view of what bookstores are accessible to them.
“People will leave the area they're used to being in and realize that, hey, it's like actually not that far. Parking's not that bad. So it's nice to be able to introduce people to that neighborhood,” Title said.
For many bookstores, the crawl is their biggest event of the year — a kind of citywide party for independent shops.
For Eccles, the event is not to be missed.
“It’s just a great, great way to get to know the bookstores, to get to know other people. So, if you are new to San Diego or if you're a native, you should come out for the Book Crawl because you're just going to have the most fun of your life.”
The San Diego Book Crawl begins on Independent Bookstore Day, April 25, and continues through April 27.
